She was doing it on purpose. Testing him. Teasing him.Something. When he’d seen plenty of naked women in his life. He had had amazing sex. He had been there and done that and she wasn’t special.
He didn’t want her to be special. He didn’t want her to tempt him. Why should she tempt him? He should be stronger than that.
But he wasn’t.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THEY DID NOTavoid complication. They reveled in it. They did not have another serious conversation about what they were doing. They went forward with business plans and wedding plans in full force.
They spent too much time together. Every night. Mostly at her place, but sometimes at his if their business meetings went late.
Serena recognized this was too much—especially without a serious, adult conversation on what it meant. She always told herself, when she was alone, that she would do something about it. That they would sit down and discuss what they were really doing. She’d never been in a relationship before, but she knew a conversation was needed, and she would need to be the one to instigate it.
But she never did.
She kept waiting forhimto do something about it. To reject her. To distance himself. Surely he’d get bored.
But he never did.
Being around him was…she hesitated to use the wordaddicting, but it was certainly something similar. Because she had never realized just how lonely she’d been. Even when her grandfather had been alive. He had been so much to her, but he had been an old man. In some ways, his wisdom and his acceptance of her quirks served as almost everything good in the foundation of her life.
But that didn’t mean she hadn’t been starved for companionship her own age. Her own stage in life. Someone to grow…with. And that’s what this felt like. As she and Luciano tackled business problems together. As they went out to business dinners or just to be seen. As they spent every night together. To the point where she had begun ruminating on her choice of whether or not to get a house dog out loud to him.
She didn’t think he actuallylistened, and she didn’t think she needed him to. It was just nice to have a living and breathing sounding board, even when it was silent.
But he didn’t remain silent.
“Why do you not just buy the damn dog then?” he demanded one sunny weekend afternoon as they drank lemonade on her balcony. She was on her computer, looking at pictures on the breeder’s website. She’d though he was taking a nap.
But his gaze was on her now. Frustration mixed with amusement in his gaze. And since there was some amusement, she posed her concern.
“What if he doesn’t get along with Kate and Leopold?”
“Mio Dio, Serena. This is madness. Buy the dog or do not. You must make a decision andmove on.”
Somewhat stung, she sniffed. “I only started considering the dog because Pierro said no to the bird.”
“The man has sense. You? I am not so sure about. Can’t you go…meet the furry creature with your demon spawn in tow to find out if they get along?”
“I suppose I could ask,” she murmured thoughtfully. Both because it was a good idea and because for all his bristle, he didn’t seemopposedto anotherdemon spawntraipsing about.
She made the appointment for the next day and was shocked when he insisted on driving her out to the breeder’s estate. He grumbled the entire way, warily eyeing the cats in their carrier in the back of his car. But he went.
And he was kind and charming to the breeder. He even let the puppy chew on his laces without any complaint. And when he knelt down and stroked the puppy’s soft, silky ears, and a small smile appeared on his face, she couldn’t help but tease him a little.
“It’s official,” she’d said as the dog tried to climb up Luciano’s leg.
He lifted his gaze, sobered his expression and raised an eyebrow at her. “What is?”
“You don’t hate animals. You’re just a dog person more than a cat person.”
His mouth turned downward, though not into an all-out frown. He looked down at the dog. Then he simply grunted.
When she put down a deposit to bring home the puppy when he was old enough in a few weeks, he offered no approval or disapproval, but Serena couldn’t help but believe he was pleased. That he wouldenjoyhaving a dog around.
When they returned to the castle, he hefted the cat carrier himself, all the way upstairs, and even undid the door to let Kate and Leopold free.
Something strange battered her chest then, but she did not fully realize what it was. Or maybe she didn’t let herself put a name to it then and there. Perhaps it was too big or too scary and her brain needed time to wake up.
